Week 9 Fantasy Football Expert Picks: Malik Willis, Harold Fannin, and More

Now into November, the football season is starting to heat up. Every team will have played eight games by the end of this week; those who haven't had their bye will have already played more than half of their games. Injuries are piling up, as they do every season, and players who fantasy owners were counting on are feeling the effects (see: Baltimore Ravens). That makes the fantasy landscape even tougher to assess than it was at the beginning of the year.

Luckily, the experts here at FantasySP are here to help. Morgan Rode and Daniel Hepner answered five questions related to fantasy football as we head into the weekend of Week 9 of the NFL season.

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Which streaming-level quarterback is set up for a big week due to his matchup?

Morgan: It's got to be Miami's Malik Willis. He has a super favorable matchup against the Lions in Week 9. Willis has delivered a bit more over the past few weeks, so that makes it easier to add and start him in more leagues. Him being a dual-threat QB is just a bonus.

Daniel: Jared Goff (Dolphins) and Brock Purdy (Raiders) both have great matchups, but they are more obvious answers in fantasy. I'll point to Drew Lock, who is starting for the Seahawks with Sam Darnold out. Lock faces the Cardinals, who have allowed the most yards per pass attempt and the second-most fantasy points per game to quarterbacks. Lock also started against this team in Week 2 and finished with 235 passing yards on 9.0 per attempt with three touchdowns.

Do you have a running back you are avoiding this week?

Morgan: Whoever starts for the Jets could be in for a long game against the Chiefs. KC has been tough on fantasy running backs, so Breece Hall and/or Braelon Allen might not produce much in this matchup. Especially if Hall returns from injury, I think both New York backs are skippable in standard leagues.

Daniel: D'Andre Swift of the Bears has had a good season, averaging 88.4 total yards per game with 10 touchdowns. He has a really tough matchup against the Bucs this week, though, a team that has allowed the fourth-fewest yards per rush attempt and the second-fewest fantasy points per game to running backs. Chicago has a very good offense, and Swift will get his touches, but there is a chance that he will have a disappointing game in this one.

How about a wide receiver who is likely to succeed in Week 9?

Morgan: Outside some obvious guys, I'll say Ladd McConkey is set up pretty well for Week 9. He delivered in his return to the field last week, and he has a great matchup coming up against the Texans. With LA struggling and likely to be trailing, that just sets McConkey up to deliver a big fantasy score.

Daniel: Whoever is healthy for San Francisco? Mike Evans is an easy start if he plays, but Evans, Deebo Samuel Sr., and Christian Kirk are all listed as questionable, and Demarcus Robinson might return from IR. The 49ers have a fantastic matchup against the Raiders, so if a few of those guys are active and a few others aren't, the guys on the field are likely to get plenty of looks and chances to do damage.

Give us a tight end who could find the end zone.

Morgan: Miami's Greg Dulcich has a decent chance to score against a Lions' defense that has allowed the most touchdowns to opposing tight ends. The other thing working in Dulcich's favor is that there aren't any established pass catchers in Miami, so he could shine in his favorable matchup in Week 9.

Daniel: Harold Fannin gets a strong matchup against the Saints in New Orleans this week. You might think of him as close to a weekly starter, but Fannin has four games in which he caught three of fewer passes and was under 30 yards, so it's worth being wary in tougher matchups. Deshaun Watson is also questionable with a concussion, but the Saints have given up the seventh-most yards per pass attempt and the sixth-most fantasy points to tight ends, giving Fannin a big upside no matter who is under center.

Who will be the fantasy MVP in Week 9?

Morgan: I think Malik Nabers is set up well to succeed in Week 9, as long as he suits up. He's got a great matchup coming against the Eagles and has been on a heater lately. In a winnable game for New York, I see Nabers delivering big and posting a huge fantasy score.

Daniel: I talked about San Francisco having a plethora of injuries at wide receiver, and Christian McCaffrey is part of that group, currently listed as questionable with a hamstring issue. If he plays, though, McCaffrey has a phenomenal matchup against the Raiders, who have allowed the most yards per rush attempt and the seventh-most fantasy points per game to running backs. If McCaffrey is out, Kaelon Black is a sneaky candidate to have a huge week.